Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

The Regional Council provides public transport; coordination and funding for economic development strategies; and funding for infrastructure under the economic development banner.

The terms economic development and economic growth are often used interchangeably but they are not the same thing.

Economic growth is the general increase in the products and services produced by an economy, while economic development is about increasing the economic well-being and quality of life within a community – and this includes activities like growing incomes and developing infrastructure.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has identified economic development as one of its desired community outcomes along with environmental protection, water quantity and quality, resilience and safety, and regional collaboration and leadership.

The Regional Council provides public transport to both support economic development and protect the environment. We also provide core funding and coordination for Bay of Connections, the group that has developed the wider economic strategy for the Bay of Plenty. We have funded infrastructure to promote economic development – including $15m for a tertiary campus in Tauranga and $5m towards the Marine Precinct in Tauranga.

The Regional Council Long Term Plan is out for consultation, and one of the questions we are asking is whether we are doing the right thing by deciding to limit new funding for economic development and infrastructure.

These changes to our plan will save $100,000 in operational funding or about 80 cents of general rates per property per annum – but it may have large long term impacts on economic development outcomes.

For further details check out our consultation document ‘Thriving Together' which you can get from the Regional Council or on our website, and put in your submission on what you think by March 20, 2015.

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please contact me on neesj@xtra.co.nz or ring me on 07 579-5150.